


I'll Follow You Into the Dark

by Harky21



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Library, Angst, Contracts, Demon!Kuroo, Fantasy, Kinda, Librarian!Tsukki, M/M, Mystery, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Tension, in all the ways, learning to love, sooooo much angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9368624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harky21/pseuds/Harky21
Summary: Seven Archdemons control the underworld. Each rules a human desire and can be summoned by spell or by their Grimmory. Once summoned a contract can be made that binds the demon to the human. Grimmories automatically complete the binding and give no choice to the demon if they would take the contract or not. Contracts are usually terminated by the death of the human.The Demon of Knowledge avoids contracting because the death of a human means the death of their knowledge. He's hid his Grimmory, assuming it now lost to the ages. Little does he know it's made its way to a library and an unassuming librarian notices it one day.





	1. The Summoning

He stood once again at the gates of the Underworld. He should have known. He really should have. He should have known better than to get involved with a mortal. A being so fragile their flesh could be torn, burnt, cut by mere accident. There was a reason it was forbade by his world. The world of demons and desire.

There were rules. Humans were a means to an end. Things to be controlled and used. Pawns. But never anything beyond that. Even when summoned and bound there were loopholes. Loopholes that always ended up with the human dead.

So why had fortune decided that after eons of evading binding spells, he would be caught? That one particular human had to take more than just his freedom? That by taking that, it led to the other Princes of Darkness scorning him and casting him aside, just as he needed more than anything to enter that bottomless pit of black once again.

* * *

Late afternoon light poured in the windows bathing everything in gold. Quiet rustling of paper and footsteps padding down carpeted aisles blanketed the level. It was Kei’s favorite time of day. It was when the library seemed most alive, despite the lack of people. The books on the upper levels glowing and the small rustles like tiny breaths. It was as if actual magic could spill from the pages if they were opened. An absolutely ridiculous notion, of course, which Kei would never actually entertain, but a thought that fluttered through his mind nonetheless.

He turned his attention back to the cart full of books that needed shelving and continued to make his way toward the non-fiction section. He passed Yachi at the reference desk, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement before entering the stacks.

Books loomed above him on the tall metal shelves. The stacks here were the tallest in the library, making it one of the only places his height didn’t make the blond of his hair peek over them. Kei let out a sigh of relief as he began to walk through the shelves.

As head librarian he didn’t really _need_ to do shelving, but the quiet white noise calmed him and admittedly he felt attached to the golden hew that painted the floor at this time of day. He found that it centered him. Let him forget life in a maze of numbers and codes. Every book had a place in the library. It was order to the umpteenth degree. Each one belonging in its place until someone took it home, reveled in the pages and then brought it back. How many people had these books given adventures to? Kei could only guess.

He pulled the first book from the cart, a collection of articles on parrots, located its home and then moved onto the next. He continued to weave through the shelves, soon falling into an easy pattern of picking up and placing books with practiced ease. And so it went, until he came to a book with a large green reptile with a long neck, rearing back from cowboys on the front.

The absurdity of the image irked him, just as it did every time he saw the cover of the book. Everyone knew cowboys and dinosaurs were from vastly and distinctly different eras, but nevertheless it didn’t stop him from looking at the cover longingly for a second. _The Last Dinosaur Book: The Life and Times of a Cultural Icon_ by W.J.T Mitchell. A book on dinosaur obsession, an obsession that Kei knew well.

He sighed as he placed the book on the shelf and proceeded to the next one, another volume on dinosaurs. He looked down at his cart and realized he had quite a few today and sighed again. Of course Kei had read all of them, but by this point in his life he had hoped that he wouldn’t be on this side of the book. He had wanted to be the one doing the research, digging up the fossils.

He quickly made his way through the section, each book feeling like a regret he was placing back on the shelf, but there were some things that you never got in life, no matter how hard you tried, they just didn’t work out.

He felt the tension leave his shoulders as he finally made his way out of the section and into the marine wildlife area. As he slipped a book on orcas into its place he realized his cart was empty.

He made his way back down to sorting area behind the front desk to grab another cart. He was relieved to see there was only a single full cart left until he noticed what section it was for. Kei could feel himself deflate as he skimmed the books awaiting to be placed back in their homes.

He sighed.

 _Fantasy._ _Of course the only shelving left to do is fantasy_.

He grabbed the end of the cart and begrudgingly made his way to the section.

The light that shone through the windows was beginning to lose its golden hue coming ever closer to night. He dragged his feet the closer he got.

Fantasy. It was a bunch of unuseful gibberish if you asked, Kei. Yes, he most certainly had read the books, spilled over the pages absorbing every word, wanting desperately to believe in magic and dragons, faeries and wizards, demons and djinn, because it had to be real. They way his brother talked about those things they must’ve been real.  

But then he did what everyone did. He grew up. Pushing daydreams to the side, favoring science and logic, the rational which he still maintained was a magic of its own but shelving the fantasy section always seemed to pull him back in as he walked by titles he’d read, once upon a time. He loved and hated this section. But then again memories tended to do that to things.

Kei shook his head, trying to clear it. He swiftly pulled the next book from the cart and made his way down the aisle to the shelf it belonged in.

He paused a moment to look at the next book on the cart that needed shelving. It was one from the corner alcove. An area few people ventured, not due to anything sinister at work, but simply because it was easy to miss, tucked away from the other shelves.

Kei directed his cart that way, expertly maneuvering it around the next corner and parking it outside the small space that was just large enough to hold two bookshelves on either side of the wall with enough room for someone to stand back enough to examine titles. The carts never fit well, so he left it to the side. He was once again amazed anyone had even grabbed a book from here let alone checked it out. He began to study the shelves for the book’s precise spot and, spotting the gap in the lower corner under the window, gently slid it into place.

He moved to stand up and turn back to the cart, but something caught his eye.

At first glance it looked like a regular old library book. It was large, but not quite large enough to draw attention to itself. The cover was well worn, edges rounded. Kei almost missed it. But something about it was not quite right. He bent down and when he looked again it was clear as day. The book had no code.

Who had let this happen? How could _he_ have let this happen? He was the head librarian and there was an uncoded book on the shelves. It was an atrocity. Not to mention the state of it. It looked filthy. Kei narrowed his eyes at the offending volume, bending right back down to pull it from the shelf.

As soon as he touched it though it felt…wrong. Too heavy for what it was and too solid. There was no give to the paper. It was almost like it shouldn’t be there...

He wiped the cover off against his pant leg, a line of fine sandy dust left in its wake, and lifted it back up immediately to examine the cover more closely.

No title.

He looked back to the spine. It wasn’t uncommon for there to be no title on the cover of hardbacks. But when he looked to the spine there was none there either. How hadn’t he noticed that immediately? Kei slid his glasses back up his nose and held the book further away. There was some sort of symbol on the spine. Spirals weaving in and out of each other, circles dancing through them. It didn’t look like any design he’d ever seen before.

He turned the book over in his hands again, looking back at the front.

_No title on the front or spine? That’s odd._

He went to flip the tome open, but his finger caught on the edge. It wouldn’t budge. His eyes narrowed even further.

Was this some sort of practical joke? Was he dreaming? He turned the book over again, looking for something that gave away that it wasn’t actually a book.

The cover was a deep brown and the more closely Kei looked the more intricate it became. There were golden accents and intricate designs pressed into it, and…

His fingers brushed gently across the cover. They snagged on a higher ridge. Looking more carefully Kei realized some swirls were higher than others. He felt a pull to them, like they needed to be deciphered, drawn out, found.They were beautiful. His fingers flowed from the top to bottom corner, dancing along the ridges like they’d been enchanted.

Like it was magic.

But like most spells it broke all too soon. Small vibrations began to peal out of the book, shaking in his hands, a soft glow emanating from it. It startled him. Kei opened his hand to drop the book near immediately, but it stuck even as he tried to shake it off.  The tremors continued to grow, shaking him like a leaf until a sudden wave of force knocked him back to the ground, stealing the breath from his lungs. His head knocked against a shelf and he cursed. He felt a rush of air sweep past him. Head spinning he got to his elbows, book still in his hand. Kei looked at the blasted thing. He tried shaking it from his hand again. It fell open.

Whatever was on the page, Kei couldn’t read it, not that he had long to look as the ink on the page began moving, the words weaving themselves into a large black spot that began to draw up forming a shadow. At first, it only discolored the air it was beginning to occupy; a swirl of smoke. Then, began to wind itself up the figure.

Kei scrambled back as quick as he could, but ran into a bookshelf, knocking his glasses askew. He couldn’t do anything but watch as the smoke traveled up and a solid form was left behind. Kei’s eyes followed as the smoke gave way to bare feet, tattered black jeans, and a burgundy hooded figure. The shadow took shape and formed in front of him into a… man.

Kei’s mouth parted, eyes widening.

The figure remained still. Standing as if he were a statue before, ever so slowly, raising his head.

The minute his piercing golden eyes met Kei’s he felt a tingle on his wrist, but he couldn’t look away. The man looked world-worn and weary, but confusion clouded his eyes as he took down his hood and slowly looked around the library, scanning the area curiously.

Kei watched silently as the tall, muscular man took in his surroundings. His crazy, lopsided nest of black hair made him seem somehow even more unreal.

When his eyes finally fell back on Kei, his brow was furrowed, mouth turned down in a frown. He looked like he was about to speak, but then he caught sight of the book in Kei’s hand and his eyes widened immediately.

“Where did you get that?” his voice boomed so loudly it seemed inhuman.

Kei could only gape, frozen in place as he tried to process what had just occurred. Emphasis on ‘ _tried_.’

“I asked where you got my Grimmory, human!”

Kei tried again to get further away, but only managed to pushed himself against the bookshelf more. Human? Grimmory?

He closed his eyes hard. _This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real._ He opened them again.

The man was still standing there. Face hardened in anger.

He suddenly marched up to Kei, grabbing his left wrist and looking at it. Kei watched as his eyes widened then narrowed, his grip tightened around his wrist. “How did you get the book?” he hissed harshly.

Kei’s brows twitched together, fear taking second place to the stupidity of the question presented to him and how the man, whoever he was, seemed to think Kei was unintelligent. That he lacked common sense. Oh how wrong he was.

Kei slowly pushed himself back up, leaning against the bookshelf before rising to his feet. The man’s eyes followed him as he rose. Once at his full height, Kei realized he stood slightly taller than whoever this person was. He looked at the book and then back at the man, scowling.

“This is a library,” Kei stated flatly. “This,” he raised the volume in his hand, “is a book. You put two and two together,” he mocked, irritation overruling the fear of the oddity that had just occurred. Scientifically it had to be some sort of hoax. People didn’t materialize. Especially stupid ones.

The man’s jaw clanched. “That doesn’t answer my question. This isn’t just any book. It shouldn’t be anywhere near a library.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have misplaced it. Now, I have shelving to do, so if you’ll excuse me.” Kei turned to leave, but a far too strong hand landed directly on his shoulder, pulling him back.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Kei’s temper gave a tick, and he easily and succinctly removed the man’s hand from his shoulder with a quick shrug and turn, stepping away.

“To do my job, now stop demanding things of me in _my_ library.” Kei moved to leave again, but he felt another tug, but it was more like a string.

“You can’t,” the other man’s voice dripped with weariness. “You summoned me. We have a contract now.”

Kei whipped back around. “A what?”

The man rubbed at his face and ran a hand through his mess of hair. “A contract. You summoned me with my Grimmory. I have no choice in the matter and neither do you. Look at your wrist.”

Kei stared, dumbfounded. The seriousness in the other’s eyes not leaving room for doubt on Kei’s part. He believed what he was saying. Kei’d had a long time to learn when people were telling the truth or lying. His life had depended on it more than once. He looked down at his left wrist and saw marked there a small black cat in a circle.

“Why is there a cat on my wrist?”

“Because we have a contract, and that’s my mark,” he replied evenly.

“A what?” he asked skeptically.

The other man looked around, irritation now painting his features. “A contract.”

“For what?”

He sighed in exasperation. “For whatever you like. Well almost whatever you like, my specialty is knowledge, but I can-”

“Are you crazy?” Kei asked.

“No?” Confusion creased the man’s brow.

“Good, now get out of my library, I don’t want to hear anything else from you.” Kei turned again and placed the book he’d been holding on his cart and then walked away. It wasn’t till he reached the elevator that he realized the man was following him. He allowed it, since the door to leave was on the first floor, but he didn’t leave. He followed Kei even as he made his way back to his office.

He stopped suddenly in the hall. “I said you should leave. Do I need to call the police?”

“You’re the only one who can see me, that wouldn’t do any good.”

“You’re talking nonsense again. Don't test me. You follow me into the office and I’ll call the police.”

Kei’d had to deal with his fair share of… unsavory characters when he was in the field. He could probably take the guy down now if he needed to, but he preferred to keep things more civilized. Even when unsavory library patrons may not.

He continued down to the front desk.

“Yamaguchi,” Kei called the attention of the man at the front desk. “Any issues?”

“None in your absence,Tsukki. It’s Friday evening, not many people coming in.” He smiled.

“I told you not to call me that at work,” he sighed. “Let me know if you need anything, I’m going back to my office. Make sure this guy doesn’t follow,” he motioned with his thumb toward the shady character behind him.

“Who?” Yamaguchi’s eyes looked the direction he motioned in confusion.

Kei stared pointedly at Yamaguchi. “The man who’s been following me.” He looked behind him, the guy was still there.

Yamaguchi stared in confusion again. “There’s no one behind you, Kei.” He replied, a hint of worry in his voice. “How late did you stay here last night?”

He glanced back at the dark-haired man again who gave him a bored look and raised an eyebrow. Kei looked back at his now concerned colleague. “I left after I closed,” he replied lightly.

“Maybe let me close tonight then? You close every day.”

“No, no,” Kei shook his head, starting to make his way down the hall to his office.  The man still followed after him as his mind raced. Grimorries, contracts, summoning. He’d said all those words so matter-of-factly. Like they were the most natural pieces of information that Kei should know.

He wracked his brain, trying to remember anything that’d match those. He came up only with demons and djinns.

But those aren’t real.

He closed his office door behind him then turned.

“Why can’t he see you?” Kei asked accusingly.

“Because he didn’t summon me,” he quipped.

Kei sat at his desk. “Why do you keep saying such ridiculous things?”

“Because they aren’t ridiculous.”

Kei felt another tick of anger. “If they aren’t ridiculous then explain to me what’s going on! And who the hell are you anyway?”

“Kuroo, Demon of Knowledge, Prince of Darkness, at your service,” he bowed, a cocky grin sliding into place on his lips.

“Demons _aren’t_ real,” Kei immediately shot back. _I left searching for the mystic far too long ago for it to be real now._

“That, my friend, is where you would be wrong.” He snapped his fingers and suddenly the tome he had emerged from was in his hand. He began to flip through the pages, mumbling to himself. “Aha! Here we are. Grimmory contracting rules. Please read.” He swung the book around and placed it in front of Kei.

He looked down at the page. The script curled across the top of the page read:

_**Grimmory Contracts** _

_While archdemons can be summoned traditionally, Grimmory contracts bind the archdemon to the summoner automatically. A human must have possession of the Grimmory and summon the archdemon by triggering the key. Once triggered and the demon summoned the contract is binding. The archdemon must complete the human’s request.* The contract is fulfilled only after the request, no matter what it be, is completed._

Kei read the paragraph twice then looked back up at the demon. “I don’t want a contract with you. You can leave. I release you.”

“Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that,” Kuroo sighed. “Did you read the astrix?”

Kei looked back down.

* _The contract binds the demon to the human, but also the human to the demon. Binding can only be lifted by a request of significance being filled or the death of the human._

“A request of significance?” Kei raised a brow in question.

“It means you can’t ask me for a sandwich or book and call it a day. It has to be a request of personal significance. And if you can’t find that I continue to be bound to you. Until you die.”

Kei stared steadily at the words again, then back at the demon.

“I didn’t summon you with purpose. There’s nothing I want or desire. I am perfectly content.”

“Contentedness does not mean no desires,” Kuroo replied looking Kei in the eye. It was slightly unnerving. As if the demon were reading his most inner secrets and thoughts.

Kei dragged his eyes away and stared at the…Grimmory.

“I don’t need it. I don’t need anything. Wanting more doesn’t lead to anything good.”

When he didn’t hear a reply he looked up again. Molten eyes were studying him, mouth in a firm line. Kei returned the stare steadily. He wasn’t sure how much time passed until the demon spoke. “Every human desires something. I’ll figure yours out eventually. If you don’t die first that is.”

With that he was gone.

Kei jumped, looking around his office, but the demon was nowhere to be seen. He almost would have thought it all an odd hallucination, stemming from the fact he only got a few hours of sleep the night before, except the Grimmory still lay open before him. He leaned forward, placing his head in his hands, staring blankly at his desk.

Die.

Was that a threat? And what if he didn’t have any truly significant requests? Then what? He didn’t stir till a knock his door jolted him from his thoughts.

“Come in,” he called.

The door cracked open and a brown head of hair popped in. “Hey, I have to go run some fliers for the summer progam. Can you come watch the counter?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll be right there.”

The door closed again and Kei looked once more at the book. Well, the demon could try as hard as he liked, but Kei was not about to crack.

* * *

Kenma always enjoyed the archives. It was certainly better than going to the human world and being contracted. Luckily he didn’t need to do that sort of thing. He could stay here for centuries. Never phased by the passage of time except to add to the collection and stealing to the human world periodically for a new game that came out. That would be perfectly fine by him. He wasn’t a demon who wanted _extas_ or had any social obligation to want it. That kind of pressure never appealed to him. So he stayed down here in the comfort of well-worn pages and the smell of paper and ink.

Plus they had a decent group down here. Along with him he had Kiyoko and Yaku. She was the head of material acquirement. In order to keep demons up to date on most human things they had to keep up with the human world’s rather outrageous -in his opinion- creation of them.

That hardly meant that demons, like Kuroo, actually kept up to date on the most recent things. He swore the man was still stuck back in the Victorian period the way he continually went through Austen’s works.

Yaku sorted. He took Kiyoko’s acquirements and placed them within the archiving system. Kenma ran the archives, making sure they were where they needed to be and checking demon world documents that came from Tora.

They had a tight system. Kuroo made sure of it. Being the demon of knowledge, the archives were his idea. He made sure that they had the system in place long ago. As new media materials came into play and Kiyoko brought samples back, they discovered more and more. It was truly incredible what humans came up with. There was a period of time where the demon world began to wonder if humans would even need demons any more. It seemed humans could conjure nearly everything they desired themselves.

But they soon found that desire never leaves, it just simply changes form every now and then. It made sense. Desire is an extremely old emotion. Preceded, perhaps, only by fear. That's why it was so strong, that's why demons crave the _extas_ that comes from it. The only two other emotions that run as deep were too unwieldy. Fear was too unpredictable to try and harness, and one other was barely spoken of in their world. It was a strong emotion but fell to whims. But desire. Desire held fast and never let go once it sank its claws in deep enough.

“Hey, Kenma.”

"Yes, Yaku?" he replied.

"Have you gotten the last meeting minutes from Kuroo yet? He hasn't entered them and the next council meeting is the day after tomorrow. He's late, he should have had it to me yesterday."

Kenma's brow creased. "That's odd."

"Yeah tell me about it, but if you see him before me let him know I'm gonna give him hell if he doesn't get his materials in on time."

Kenma’s mouth quirked in amusement at the feisty short, blond. It was incredibly entertaining when he got worked up. Not that Kenma would ever actually say that aloud. Yaku would probably give him an earful.  "Will do."

He turned back to the National Geographics he was sorting through himself. Despite them being one of Kenma’s favorite collections and them having every single one since they began publishing, he wished new games were coming in. Well, good ones. They just had... what was it? Oh, Barbie Dream House 5. Lev swore by the series but Kenma could care less about it. Who wanted to watch plastic march around in heels with a man who never stopped smiling? It was creepy.

He was just sorting through some files in it when he sensed Kuroo’s presence, but something seemed to be amiss. His energy didn't feel... right.

Soon enough the large doors leading into the archive offices opened. The demon's easy smile and stride were nowhere to be seen. He was the walking demonification of tension. He stride was stiff. His lips tight. Something had gone wrong. Very, very wrong. He walked straight past Kenma and into his office. Kenma took note of where he was in his work and followed soon after, unbidden. He knew Kuroo may not even want to see him right now, but he also knew something had happened and that, in turn, would affect the rest of the department.

He reached the door, large dark mahogany monstrosities, and gave a knock before walking in, alerting Kuroo to his presence. He wasn't expecting what met him. Kuroo was at his desk, head in his hands.

Something had most certainly gone very wrong. He hoped against all hope it wasn’t what he thought it was, but something told him that would be too optimistic.

"Kuroo?" Kenma prompted.

Kuroo dragged his gaze to Kenma's and that was just about all he needed to confirm what he'd feared. There was a specific irritated resignation written into his eyes.

"A contract?"

He nodded.

"What kind?"

He held up his wrist, showing him the cat shapped symak and gave a sad, ironic smile. It was red.

Kenma swallowed thickly, his brow creasing in confusion. Kuroo didn’t take contracts. That only left… "Grimmory? I thought you destroyed that with Bokuto ages ago. How...?"

Kuroo started laughing, but there was no mirth in it. "Funny isn't it? I'd like to know myself. Maybe it’s just fate telling me I can't change what I am."

Kenma studied him. Kenma could hardly recall when Kuroo’s last contract was. Half the council had been getting on his case about it for what seemed like millennia. Kuroo was good at contracts, but he avoided them.

"That's not even the best part, Ken," Kuroo’s smile sent a chill through Kenma. It wasn't his natural one, it was twisted.

"The best part is, this human," he laughed a little again, standing up and placing his hands in his pockets, turning to lean against the desk. "This human, he didn't even want to summon me in the first place. He didn't know what he was holding. And not even just that," Kuroo turned back to Kenma. "He claims he doesn't have any desires." Kuroo started laughing harder. It was a broken thing. The way one laughs at a predicament there in that they never wanted to begin with.

"What are you going to do?" Kenma asked calmly.

"I hardly have a choice in this, Kenma. This is the last time I'm not completely bound outside of council obligations," he had stopped laughing. He leaned against his desk, piled high with books and papers. "I never wanted to do this again. If simply summoned I can reject contracts, but Grimmories," he shook his head again. "I can't get around this one. I'm bound. No freedom in it," he looked to Kenma again.

Kenma knew there was more to it than just freedom. Something had happened during his last contract, or maybe it had been small things that had built up slowly over time and he had just finally snapped. All Kenma knew was almost immediately after the last one was completed Kuroo went straight back to the human world to locate his Grimmory and did the best he could to hide it. Bokuto had gone after him. When they came back something in Kuroo had shifted. A new resolve was ingrained to his core. He avoided contracts at all costs.

"Kuroo," there had been a spell of silence and Kenma broke it again. "Have you ever wondered if maybe there is a way for, you know, the human to…"

Kuroo shook his head. "I've tried, Ken. I've tried so many times. And every time it's the same. And this man..." Kuroo's eyes cloud for a moment. "I don't know what to make of him yet. Figuring out his desire may be a challenge though. He started fighting me about it so quickly."

"What does he do?" Kenma asked, settling onto the couch that occupied the wall near the door of Kuroo's office. It was a hideous yet cushy thing. Kenma really had no idea why Kuroo had to get it in chartreuse.

Kuroo chuckled and smiled, this one actually seemed genuine. "He's a librarian. Just a regular library librarian, not even rare collections or anything." His eyes sparkled. "A tall, blond, librarian with glasses and a personality problem."

"How'd he get the Grimmory?" Kenma inquired, slightly intrigued by the oddity of the predicament.

"It was in the fantasy section with no code apparently," Kuroo's eyes sharpened in thought. "I have no clue how it got there, Ken. Bo and I, we hid it where it'd be so hard for a human to find. I just..."

"We don't know what happens to the Grimmorries when they get from place to place. That was part of the point of them, wasn't it?"

Kuroo nodded slowly, still lost in thought.

"You all still know the procedures for when I'm contracted right? Or do I need to call the others in for a refresher?"

"I believe this archive works with or without you around. You're barely here anyway, I have no idea why you think your presence is necessary," he added lightly.

"Kenma, you wound me" Kuroo's lower lip started to pout at the teasing.

"You're the one who insists on going on excursions and leaving us here."

"I used to invite you, but you said no for like, what, a hundred years? I decided to give up."

Kenma smiled softly.

"Oh, that reminds me. Yaku said you better get the minutes from the last council meeting into him before the next one or you're in for it."

Kuroo groaned and walked back over to his desk, picking up the packet of papers on top. He flipped through them, glanced at the date and then handed them to Kenma. "Get these to him for me? I need to be getting back. I just," he paused, taking a deep breath. “I needed to let you know and wanted to grab a few things before the window of time I still have a modicum of freedom closes.”

"You'll make it through, Kuroo. And who knows," Kenma shrugged. "Maybe this one will be different."

"I highly doubt it," Kuroo sighed. “I’ll see you in a few days for the council meeting.”

At that Kenma took his leave, closing the door softly behind him.

He sighed. Things were about to get very busy around here.

“What was that all about?”

Kenma looked up, groaning inwardly when he realized who it was.

Lev, the new archive apprentice. What Kuroo was thinking when he took the lanky young demon on, Kenma knew not.

“Nothing,” he replied steadily.

“Didn’t sound like nothing,” Lev’s face fell as he turned back to unpacking the box he’d brought in.

Kenma sighed outwardly this time. He might as well tell him, everyone would know soon anyway.

“He got a contract,” Kenma replied.

“Oh! Well that’s good! He should’ve taken one-”

“Grimmory contract,” Kenma interrupted.

“Oh,” his face fell again. “But that’s still good, isn’t it? He hasn’t had one in a long time, and I know I’m new, but I’ve heard about his old contracts, he’s supposed to be a master at them. Bending humans exactly how he wants them. Getting them to think they have what they want.”

Kenma sighed. “It’s not that simple, Lev. You know what usually happens to humans at the end of contracts, don’t you?”

Lev shrugged his shoulders some shaking his head, “They get what they want?”

“They usually end up dead,” Kenma replied shortly, turning back to his own sorting.

“So?” he shrugged.

Kenma shook his head. He didn’t know how to explain to Lev exactly how many contracts Kuroo had been through. How with each one he watched his friend become obsessed and invested in the human, wanting them to achieve their goal as much as they did, only to have them fail.  And Kuroo would always say every time “This one will be different. They’ll make a difference, a change for the better.” And every time he was let down.

Then something about his last Grimmory contract made him snap. It was decades before the council eventually tried to force one on him, but Kuroo fought them every step of the way. He almost lost his seat on the council.

Kenma looked back up at the grey haired demon and gave him the explanation Kuroo always used to cover. “So, Kuroo is the demon of knowledge, right?”

Lev nodded.

“So the death of a human means a death of their knowledge. How are we supposed to collect that?”

* * *

Kei flipped through the pages again. He’d read and reread the damned contracting book. He didn’t know how to get around it. And he couldn’t find anything about the “Underworld” either outside that he could call Kuroo from it if need be.

Kei had to admit he was tempted to try it. To see if all this was actually real or if he’d been staring at a hoax the entire evening. It was absolutely insane. A world of demons. That existed right alongside the world of humans. How did any of it work? Kuroo was an Archdemon. That must’ve made him some sort of authority figure, right? Or were all demons called archdemons. Did they have a government? How was their world different?

Slamming the book shut in irritation he rose to his feet, and looked at the offensive mark on his wrist for what must’ve been the hundredth time. How did this even happen? His brother had railed about how it existed. How demons existed. Kei used to believe him. Kei used to believe all those tales of fantasy, faeries, demons, ghosts. It was all real. Until it wasn’t. Until his brother left. Until he got roped into searching for them and became a part of a treasure hunt he never wanted in on.

He stared at the glass cabinet in his office. The few things he’d kept from a different life. A different time. Old dig photographs matched with a few plaster specimen replicas. Kei barely recognized the blond smiling back at him in the pictures. Before it all started he’d studied paleontology. The things people didn’t believe were real until there were bones, until there was proof. Creatures and lands never seen by homo sapiens. To prove the untrue true, that was all Kei wanted to do.

And he did it too. He’d even started his PhD. People in the field were beginning to recognize his name. And then his brother came back.

“Kei?”

He jumped, whipping around toward the door. Tadashi was standing there, hesitantly, half in the room.

Kei composed himself quickly, “Yes, Yamaguchi?”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to close tonight? You’ve been out of it since you did shelving this afternoon,” he paused, eyes studying Kei, trying to read him, see through all the walls he’d put up. “Did something happen?” Which Tadashi just happened to be incredibly good at it.

Kei shook his head. “No. Just tired,” he attempted a small smile, but he’d never been very good at that. But Tadashi knew that.

The other man sighed. “You know you’re going to work yourself to death if you don’t try to start leaving a bit earlier than midnight.”

“Well then it’s a good thing I don’t leave that late since, if I did, I’d miss the last train,” Kei retorted.

Tadashi raised his eyebrow.

Kei didn’t know how he ended up with a coworker like Tadashi but he did. Sometimes it was a blessing. Sometimes it was a curse. It just depended on the day.

“I promise to be out by eleven today since close it at ten. How’s that?” Kei relented. He really just wanted to be alone at the moment. He hadn’t fully processed exactly what happened earlier yet. If what happened was actually real…

Tadashi studied him from the door a second longer and then pointed a finger at him. “Okay, but I’m going to check the security footage. To make sure you left well before the time to catch last train.”

Kei narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me,” he smiled. “Yachi is opening in the morning, so don’t worry about getting in early.”

Kei was about to protest. He came every morning regardless of who was opening. “Don’t even start with me, Kei. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that Yamaguchi closed the door and left.

“Thank God. I thought he’d never leave.”

Kei spun again to see Kuroo reclining in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk.

Anger began to bubble beneath his skin. “Get out of my chair,” he growled, taking a few quick steps toward the demon.

“Is that your inner most desire?” He asked, a sly grin appearing.

Kei’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. Now give it to me and leave.”

“I told you it doesn’t work like that,” a silky voice purred in his ear. Kei couldn’t help but jump. Kuroo was suddenly standing behind him. “But trust me when I say I wish it did.” He mosied over to the cabinet Kei had been looking at earlier.

Kei’s frown deepened as he studied the creature. He looked so… human.  “Then maybe you could enlighten me to how it does work? I read the book, or instruction manual, what have you. It doesn’t actually say much of anything.”

Kuroo didn’t turn back to look at him. He just stood, staring at the cabinet. It put Kei on edge. How much did demons know? Could they read minds? Did they just know by looking at you, by looking at your things?

Had Kei spent half his life trying to forget just to have it unraveled by a demon?

“The book says exactly what you need to know. No more, no less,” he paused, “well maybe a tad less.” He turned. No smile this time, just steady piercing eyes. The kind Kei hated because they looked like they could read souls.

He tore his eyes away and went back to sit behind his desk, his steady gaze turning back to Kuroo.

He nodded his head toward the seat, waiting for him expectantly.

Kuroo seemed to catch his drift as he finally took the seat across from him.

Tsukishima settled in his chair and adjusted his glasses as he reached for the book and his notes. There was really so much left unexplained in the thing he had no idea how it managed to be so large yet say nothing at all.

“I need more details than what this monstrosity has, which is basically nothing at all,” Kei leveled a glare.

Kuroo paused a moment. “Ask away,” he swept his hand open in permission. “But there are only certain details, as you say, that I can tell you.”

Kei looked at his notes. He guessed he would start with the most obvious of things.

“If we’re contracted then why did you leave so quickly earlier? Shouldn’t you be like, glued to my hip or something? It doesn’t actually say in here. It just says to call when I need or want you.”

“Yes, I come when you call, but you rarely should need to. Unless I have obligations in the Underworld I’ll be here, with you. Earlier…” he ran his hand through his hair. “I will admit that I am about as enthusiastic about our predicament as you are.”

Kei raised a brow.

Kuroo leaned back in his seat raising his own. “The last time I saw my Grimmory was when I buried it in the ashes of the Library of Alexandria and even before that I tried keeping it rather carefully hidden away. But humans do seem to know how to get their hands on things they shouldn’t.”

“I didn’t go looking, thank you. The damn thing was on the shelf with no DDC. And had no title. What self-respecting librarian would tolerate that on their shelves? This isn’t a private collection. How was I supposed to know it was some sort of demon portal?” Kei scoffed.

“A Grimmory is not a portal. Portals are at very specific-” he cut himself off, narrowing his eyes at Kei.

_Ah, he said too much._

“So if there are portals how come you can just,” he snapped his fingers. He didn’t really know what to call how Kuroo got here. Was it teleportation? Apparation? He didn’t know.

“I’m an Archdemon. There are certain powers that come with that. Not to mention we’re contracted.” He motioned to Kei’s wrist.

Kei glanced down at where the black mark still sat. He’d tried scrubbing it off earlier, but it was more like a tattoo than anything. He looked back up to Kuroo curious now.

“How many Archdemons are there?”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow at him. Kei kept his gaze steady as he stared back.

“So many questions today aren’t there? Well I can tell you that since it’s technically knowledge already known to the human world. Our Grimmories are present here after all. There are seven. Seven archdemons who cater to seven human desires. Knowledge, Vitality, Beauty, Strength, Comfort, Youth, and Control.” Kei noticed Kuroo’s lip curl at the last one.

Kei took down a few more notes. “And you Archdemons, do you rule the Underworld?”

“In a sense,” Kuroo replied diplomatically. Kei would have to see what else he’d be able to discover about that.

“So are you the only demons that contract?”

“No, many lesser demons also contract, in a way. It differs with level, but we are the only demons with Grimmories. And therefore the only demons who can end up in this predicament we have here. Which, I will tell you, is incredibly rare.”

“How so?” Kei couldn’t stop his curiosity. New worlds, new beings, new rules. Maybe he hadn’t changed so much after all.

“Demons contract for a reason.”

“To kill people?” Kei recalled the warning Kuroo had left him with earlier. He did want to know about that.

Kuroo paused. “No, not exactly. The only way a demon can kill a human is if the human breaks their contract.”

There was more to that. Kei could feel it. If that were the only reason would the beast have spat out such a thing? Kei might actually need to talk to Sugawara about this. He’d tried desperately to stay away from that world. It was too much, but Sugawara Koushi had a knack of keeping people he wanted around. And in this case it seemed it would benefit Kei for once.

“You use a lot of conditionals,” Kei noted as he wrote.

“No two contracts are alike,” Kuroo played with the corner of the calendar mat.

“Why do demons contract? Why have the Grimmories?” Kei asked.

Kuroo’s head whipped back up to study him. “I’m hardly going to tell you all the inner workings of my world.”

“How am I supposed to know my desire’s limitations if I don’t know the workings of the place that is apparently going to give it to me?”

“Trust me, if you wanted the world, I could aid you in getting it, but desires are a dangerous thing. They drive men mad,” Kuroo drew out the last word. His eyes were sparkling as if he were just putting something together. As if he knew.

Kei took off his glasses to clean them, narrowing his eyes at the intruder in his office. “Good thing I don’t have any desires then, isn’t it? Then that puts us at what? An impasse?”

“Yes, it does. It also means my job is to figure out what it is you do desire.”

Kei’s stomach immediately dropped.

“What?” he choked out.

“Grimmorries are binding contracts. I’m hardly going to hang about and do nothing,” he replied as he picked up the geode paperweight on Kei's desk.

“It didn’t say anything about demons meddling,” Kei remarked irritated.

“It didn’t?” he asked nonchalantly while tossing the rock up in the air, only waiting for it to come back down and land gracefully in his hand again.

Kei shot up and swiped the geode from the demon mid arc, placing it carefully back on his desk exactly where it was supposed to be.

Kuroo’s brow creased. He studied Kei for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

“I would prefer it if you did not touch or play with the things in my office. And if you are going to be here I would also prefer you to be silent. I actually have work to do,” he stated.

It was a challenge. He needed to know where the line was with this demon and what could potentially happen if he crossed it.

“Alright,” his eyes were narrowed at the blond. “But I do want you to remember something too.” He stood and leaned forward on the desk, face closer to Kei than he ever liked anyone to be. “I can grant wishes and make dreams come true, but I can also destroy them. Your life is a blip. A small insignificant, infinitesimal piece of time in the grand scheme of the universe. I’ve lived longer than you can possibly imagine. So I’d watch what you say if I were you.” With that he pushed off the desk and went to sit in the chair located in the corner of the office.

Kei hadn’t noticed the satchel at his side, but the demon pulled out a book before plopping down and making himself comfortable. It irked him how at ease the being was in his office. He eyed him a moment longer before turning back to his actual work. Shoving the damned Grimmory into his desk drawer where he didn’t have to look at it.

Kei hadn’t even gotten all the answers he wanted. Not even all the ones he needed, but then again he guessed he was dealing with a demon here. He shouldn’t expect this to be easy.

He looked down at his notes again. This was… a lot. He was certainly going to need to pay Sugawara a visit, he glanced at the demon in the corner again, if he ever got a moment of peace to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Kuroo is intrigued and has to deal with the Council and Kei is not amused and wants answers
> 
> Thank you for reading! I've been gearing up for this fic for a very long time, so I am very excited to share it with you! A huge thanks to [Shannon](http://sarolonde.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing!!!
> 
>  
> 
> [my tumrblr](http://midnightmooncatcher.tumblr.com/)


	2. Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven seats, seven walls, seven tapestries. All for the council of Septumi, the Princes of Darkness, the seven Archdemons of the underworld.

His eyes darted back down to the book, seeing the words but not reading them. He was hoping the human hadn’t noticed him watching. Kuroo was admittedly a bit out of practice after foregoing contracts for so long. He wasn’t sure his stealth skills were currently up to par. His eyes ran over a few more lines and he flipped the page for good measure before glancing back up again.

The man was tall, slim, and had extremely elegant hands that were currently tapping across a keyboard. He was dressed nicely too, a cream button up with a burgundy pullover and nicely fitted dark wash jeans with a pair of dark rimmed glasses to complete the look.  Kuroo studied him as he typed away, not even bothering to glance over at the demon who occupied the corner. 

Kuroo returned to pretending to skim over words he knew by heart. Something about this human nagged at him. He looked so familiar, but Kuroo couldn’t quite place him. It most certainly wasn’t that he looked like every other human, no if Kuroo had seen him before he would have remembered. He also didn’t look like any of Kuroo’s past contracts. He never forgot the face of a contract. Besides, they were all dead. He guessed it was possible he resembled a human he’d watched often, but he saw them frequently enough he could pick them out of crowds and he certainly didn’t look like any demons he knew... 

Kuroo peeked up from his book at the human again.  _ No, Tsukishima Kei. _ It said so right on his desk. He should probably start calling the human by name if he wanted to get anywhere with him.

Tsukishima. He was… interesting. He wasn’t like the type of human Kuroo usually got. He didn’t have that excited, manic look in his eye when Kuroo was first summoned... like they had just realized all their dreams. No, Tsukishima was scared. Kuroo would even venture to say terrified, but then he goes and asks question after question trying to get the upper hand on him. It was certainly a new experience for Kuroo, one that made him act more the part of archdemon than he liked.

For the first time in millenia a human was… different. What the hell was Tsukishima even thinking? Not actually choosing anything, snatching the rock from him mid air, and ordering him, an archdemon, around. That man had some nerve. Kuroo could give the man all the knowledge in the world and is stuck in a corner instead. 

Kuroo scoffed to himself, pretending to turn the page again. A human who didn’t want to know the secrets of the universe. Humans crave knowledge. They always wanted some piece of information to give them a leg up, make their lives easier. Knowledge is power. That's how the saying goes, right? And here he had a human, an  _ academic _ , who could care less.

It was intriguing and Kuroo was starting to think this contract might not be that bad.

He turned to the next page of his book and sighed. He’d read  _ The Importance of Being Earnest _ about a hundred times already. Had it memorized really, but he still loved the heft of the book in his hand and the sound of turning the page.

It really was a struggle reading new things sometimes. There were so many bad books out there and Kuroo hated that he had to read some of those to find the real gems. So he just kind of had a few he fell back on. His own collection of classics.

Glancing at the clock, Kuroo sighed. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been here. Had it even been an hour? Human time really did drag on and on, it felt more like a century. And now those, those were long. He didn’t know how humans could stand it. Or maybe it was just because there was nothing to do. Kuroo couldn’t do any of his demon world work here so he was reduced to sitting and pretending to read.

He peered up at the man behind the desk again. He had yet to even glance in Kuroo’s direction, completely unfazed by the demon’s presence, and that… irked him. Kuroo usually didn’t get irked with contracts. Annoyed yes, upset most definitely, but irked, not so much. This… Tsukishima Kei. He made Kuroo want to get under his skin. Push him around a little. Not maliciously of course, but just get some sort of reaction from him. To see if he could actually do it. The man had switched from asking too many questions to completely  _ ignoring _ him. 

Kuroo continued to observe him, watching as a few people came and left asking quick questions about the summer reading program they were revamping that year, the budget, what new series they wanted to acquire. It was all quite dull. Kind of in the same flavor of dull Kei tried to appear to be. But the more Kuroo watched him over the course of the evening the more he couldn’t actually believe that. Kuroo had watched people for a very long time. Yes he avoided contracts, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t come Earth side every now and then. He enjoyed sitting in busy areas and just watching it all unfold before him. Seeing people live their lives. The smallest things people did ended up making the biggest differences for others. It was truly incredible. But in the process of all his observation he also discovered there weren’t any boring humans. They all had something. He’d watched the same people take the same paths to work or school everyday just to see one of them stray now and then, or veer a different direction on a whim. It didn’t matter how dull. He could see a flicker in their eye, the flicker of intelligence each human possessed.

Kei had it in his eye too. The small light that showed interest, care in his work, but it was dulled. Like there was something else he wanted to do more, like he hadn’t fulfilled his potential.

Kuroo turned back to his book, but continued to sneak glances. When he heard the man sigh and take off his glasses, rubbing his eyes, he noticed it was already dark out. He glanced at the clock above his desk. 9:30pm.

Kei then turned his attention to Kuroo in the chair for the first time that evening. “I have to go help out with closing duties. You can stay here or follow, just stay out of the way of what people are doing.” And with that he rose and headed to the door.

Kuroo narrowed his eyes at the man again. He spoke so informally to him, but eventually he followed. He had to admit he was tired of being cooped up in the man’s office.

Kei was very civil with his coworkers. Polite and direct. He walked the floors, letting patrons know the library would be closing soon. He did his circuits, checked on the staff, took note of things that needed to be done the next day, and made his way back to his office. It was rather dull, but Kuroo guessed they were necessary. Kenma did the same with the archives, except those never closed. No purpose when demons never actually slept.

Kei was the last person in the building when all was said and done. He turned off the light, went out the back, and turned to lock the door and yanked twice. It looked like muscle memory, something he’d done thousands of times. He didn’t acknowledge Kuroo’s presence all the way to train station, or on the walk back to his apartment, or when he stopped to get dinner, or when he used the same mechanics to unlock his door and then turn to lock it immediately, pull twice and walk into his kitchen. He placed his bag on the chair near the door and entered the kitchen. He still didn’t acknowledge Kuroo when he took down a bowl, unpacked his food in to it, grabbed the book from the counter and made his way to the table.

It was only once Kuroo sat across from him and he was about to take a bite of gyuudon that the man looked up and his brow creased. Like he’d forgotten the demon existed. He slowly lowered his chopsticks.

“Do you eat?” he asked, puzzled.

Kuroo was slightly taken aback by the question. He usually wasn’t asked things like that. There was usually no need to. It took him a moment to reply. “I don’t have to. Sometimes just if I want to taste something or if it smells really good, but your eating doesn’t bother me.”

Kei relaxed at that. “Good. I wouldn’t want to be rude.”

It was a statement that truly puzzled Kuroo, mainly because from the interactions he’d had with Kei so far, he had been rude. But Kei was still getting used to him.

“Yeah,” he added. “Don’t worry about it.”

Kei took another bite, chewing slowly. He appeared to be thinking. “Do you sleep? I don’t have a spare room, but I have a couch,” he offered.

Kuroo couldn’t help but smile slightly at that. He didn’t think he’d ever had a contract try to look after him before.

“No, I don’t. As long as there are some books,” he glanced at the large case that sat in the living area, “I’m set.”

“Okay, good. There are plenty of those. Just be sure to put them back in the correct spot,” he replied quietly, taking another bite of food, chewing slowly, carefully. He looked a tad uncomfortable. Like he wasn’t used to anyone being here. Kuroo felt for him, but binding contracts were strict. Kuroo wished he could go home too.

Kei suddenly stood, his food barely half finished. He took the rest and covered it and placed it in the fridge then turned to Kuroo uncertainly.

“Please stay in the living room at night. If you want anything from the kitchen or bathroom that’s fine, but please do not enter my room.”

Kuroo thought a second. Such a demand made of him again. He almost wanted to defy the man, but then he noticed it. The small plea in his eyes that didn’t match the certain tone of his voice. Kuroo nodded in consent and watched him leave his sight for the night.

Dawdling about the apartment some, Kuroo found it wasn’t very large. Just a small kitchen connected to a living area, a bathroom, and Kei’s bedroom. He eventually returned to where the couch was and studied Tsukishima’s own collection, books he apparently deemed worthy of owning.

It was interesting, seeing classics next to fantasy, accompanied by science fiction and a few historical novels. Kuroo would have pegged him as a Classics buff. Someone who never strayed from them, but he had so many other titles as well. Kuroo was about to pluck a fantasy book he had yet to read from the shelf when he noticed the time. He had a council meeting to get to and he needed to stop by his office first.

He pulled the books from the shelf, grabbed his bag, and pictured his own library office, leaving the apartment with a small pop.

* * *

 

The door groaned as it opened, the room beyond cast in shadow. Sighing heavily, Kuroo moved toward the light switch. He was always first to the meetings despite how much he dreaded them.

The lights flickered on revealing a heptagonal, stone room. The cobbled stone floor as grey and cold as ever. The only piece of furniture that broke the expanse of stone was the large mahogany table at the center shaped to match the room, a single high-backed chair on each side, a tapestry hanging on the wall behind.

Kuroo took in the overly familiar sight of stone, wood, and fabric.

He finally entered the room, slow steps echoing on the walls as he made his way to his designated seat.

Seven seats, seven walls, seven tapestries. All for the council of Septumi, the Princes of Darkness, the seven Archdemons of the underworld.

A thankless job if Kuroo’d ever had one. Except he’d been doing this so long he wasn’t sure he ever had another job any longer. Time ceased to matter for an immortal. Except as torture. Everyday blurring into the next. Existing became a monotonous thing indeed. He’d never wish his position on anyone else, so he persisted despite having done things he regretted and not being able to help when he wished he could. It was something he was never able to fully forgive himself of. Having power to change things, but not being able to direct it in a positive fashion. It was torture, in more ways than one.

He turned to his bag, pulling out his book. That was the one thing he loved, that kept him sane when things were out of his hands. Books, reading, learning. It was his high. It filled that gap most demons claimed was filled by feeding off human desires. Reading filled his desire of knowledge perfectly fine. Perhaps the cosmos had gotten something right when they made his specialty knowledge. And luckily he’d never be bored, even with unlimited time he couldn’t keep up with the reading material humans produced, however poor some of it may be. They provided a window out of hell and eternal responsibility, one into their minds, desires, thoughts.

He flipped open the book he’d just pulled, attempting to lose himself in the words, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the new buzz he felt from his contract.

He’d forgotten the feeling. A tingle, an itch under the skin. The constant reminder that he no longer belonged to himself. That he was at the whim of a human.

Or in this case, the lack of a whim of a human. And one who asked too many questions.

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Kuroo really did need to reread the Demon Charter. He couldn’t quite remember small pieces of what he could reveal about the demon world and what he couldn’t in a human’s presence.

He thought back on the day once again, mind playing through the sudden feeling of tendrils pulling him to the Human world, a scared man on the floor, then said man’s rudeness and resistance, his small kindness...

Kuroo’s eyes shot opened. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but... he’d maintained his chosen appearance while interacting with that man. He still had his jet black mess of hair, the simple clothes, he wasn’t even any taller. It was odd. Nearly every time he had a contract  _ something _ changed. He was even a woman one time.

He looked back down at the table. This would cause such an uproar when he told them. Millenia without a contract only to get a Grimmory one and his appearance-

Muffled voices approached. Becoming clearer with every step they alerted him in plenty of time that he was about to be joined. The tell tale creak of the cast iron only confirmed it.

He braced himself when he heard exactly just who it was.

The voice made his skin crawl.

“Such a fool! I can’t believe he fell for it! Literally, straight off the cliff,” a grating voice cackled on the other side of the room. A few chuckles sounded in response some hesitant, others not.

Kuroo’s jaw tightened, fingers gripping his book tighter, knuckles going white.

The narrowed-eyed demon of control and cunning slithered into the room. Okay, he walked, but that didn’t make his movements any less snake like. Daishou’s smile turned to a scowl when he saw the other demon who was present.

“Hey, Kuroo!” The pierced demon of Youth and Frivolousness bounded in.

Kuroo turned his attention away from the snake. “Hey,” he replied. “Did you get a new piercing?” he asked when he noticed the silver nose ring.

“Nah, just forgot to trans it out,” Terushima replied, flopping down at his seat. “Anyway, I kinda like it. Maybe I should keep it.”

Daishou rolled his eyes from his seat.

“What does it matter if he did?” he snarled back eyes focused on Kuroo. Judging as usual.

“It doesn’t. It’s just been awhile since anyone’s changed their base appearance,” Kuroo stated evenly.

“Maybe we should. I mean, we change appearance based on our contracts, why not change up how we present ourselves to each other every once and awhile too? It’d be fun,” Terushima smiled easily.

Kuroo couldn’t help but return a half one, “It might be hard to recognize everyone and whether you should be allowed in the room.”

“Nah, we just need to update the program,” Terushima supplied.

“I’d personally prefer to not use the blood method.”

“Only because you’d actually bleed,” Daishou broke his silence. “Always have been too soft.”

“At least I,”

Kuroo was cut off as the door swung open again. “I still don’t see how you can stand looking at the humans you deal with! Like why would anyone want strength when they could have beauty?”

“Strength is power. And not just physical. Some humans ask for resolve. I hardly choose contracts based on looks,” the deep voice of Ushijima rolled out, his height towering over Oikawa.

“Still seems a shame if you ask me,” Oikawa sighed, sitting daintily at the table.

“I didn’t,” Ushijima stated as he took his own seat beside the tousle-haired brunette, turning to look around the room as the door opened a third time.

“Hi everyone,” Sawamura quickly walked in and sat looking like he’d be the last there. He looked around at the seats. “Where’s Bokuto?” He asked.

“Has he ever been on time? Ever?” Kuroo’s mouth twitched with amusement.

Sawamura smiled back. “Point.”

The door burst open then. “Sorry! I know I’m late.”

“No worries, it’s practically on time for you,” Oikawa smiled with fake sweetness.

“So, shall we get this started?” Ushijima leaned forward. It was his turn to lead council.

There was a murmur of agreement.

“Then let’s proceed. Let’s start off with section updates,” he turned toward Oikawa in indication he was starting.

“Nothing particularly out of the typical. My underlings have been taking care of the small stuff as usual. Teenage girls wanting to make an impression, businessmen wanting to get a number or two at the bar. Small game. I also just took a contract with a man hoping to steal a bride from his best friend. Seems to think that if he were slightly more muscular and had softer hair he’d be the better catch. Should be interesting.”

As the updates continued on contracts and lesser demons under their jurisdiction, Kuroo let his mind wander slightly, only jotting a few notes down for the minutes. It was a lot more of the same. A few breaches in contract, a few deaths, the lesser demons weren’t acting out too much, clean up was working out well. Their world still seemed safe from the prying eye of humans. 

And then it was his turn.

“Kuroo,” Ushijima turned to him. “Any updates?”

“Why even bother asking?” Daishou asked snidely, a quirk in his lip. “The fool won’t take contracts and has hidden his Grimmory.”

Ushijima turned to Daishou. “He runs the archives. Despite what you think, documenting the contracts is necessary.” He then turned to Kuroo again.

“Updates?” he asked again.

Kuroo could feel his heart beat faster, the pounding in his head. He didn’t want this. He never wanted this.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, centering. “I have a contract.”

He looked from demon to demon. The reactions ranged from out right surprise, mouths hanging open eyes wide, to creased brows, like they hadn’t heard him correctly. The table was completely stunned to silence, until a chuckle broke it.

When Kuroo looked over he saw the smirk on Daishou’s face, but not surprise. “Really? A contract? After…How many centuries has it been? Or wait, maybe it’s millenia?” His chuckle held no mirth, condescension dripping from every word.

Kuroo cut him a steady stare. “Only a few, but at least I’m not constantly tied to a human like you.”

Contracts, that’s all Daishou cared about. That and the control they gave him, not the control they took away.

“What type of contract?” Ushijima asked, ignoring the two’s small spat. Ever the demon to get to business.

“Grimmory,” Kuroo replied, turning his gaze towards Ushijima.

“I thought you’d lost your Grimmory,” Bokuto immediately looked worriedly toward him.

“I thought that was the case too, but apparently it was found… and placed in a library,” Kuroo glanced around again.

“None of the Grimmorries are ever placed in such open areas,” Oikawa replied immediately.

“You know just as well as the rest of us that humans transport the Grimmorries unknowingly all the time,” Sawamura reasoned.

“Where in the library was it? A back archive or storage?” Terushima asked. Even the demon of Youth found this odd.

“No, it was on the shelves,” Kuroo replied irritated. “It was a librarian. He…” Kuroo thought back on it. How the blond man’s eyes widened in fear as he emerged. How he covered it, how he went on as if something fantastical and out of the ordinary hadn’t just happened. “He didn’t know what he was holding. As far as I can tell he had no prior knowledge or inkling of our world, but he also doesn’t seem thrilled by the idea.”

“What do you mean by that?” Daishou bit out.

Kuroo controlled his almost immediate want to snap back at the other demon. If he delivered all of this coolly to the council he might be able to sway them to try and find a way to null this.

“He told me he has no desires of significance. And doesn’t intend to use the contract,” he stated evenly, clearly.

“All humans have some desire,” Ushijima replied. The rational all demons used. Every human has a desire, so a contract can always be completed. “He can’t be an empty husk with no ambition.”

“That’s right,” Sawamura chimed in. “And you said he’s a librarian. You’re the Demon of Knowledge. He must want to know something, he works with books.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be working on it. I’ve only gone to check in again once so far.”

“Maybe you should do some haunting. Study him a bit more without him knowing you’re watching,” Bokuto suggested.

“If he truly has no desire that means you’d have to terminate it,” Terushima replied leaning back.

“He’s right, maintaining the contract is too dangerous if he’s not working toward an end goal,” Ushijima added.

“But this was sprung on the man. We need to allow some time for him to come to terms with it. How much did you tell him about it?” Bokuto asked.

“When I came back he’d had enough sense to read the Grimmory. He even had notes and questions. This human,” Kuroo thought back again to the interaction to his office. There were so many objects in the cabinet. Like a small museum, “he’s scientific. Has done some sort of paleontology or something from the looks of his office. He wants facts. I dodged telling him much though by leaving.”

Bokuto nodded.

“This hasn’t happened before,” Daishou spoke again. “We need some sort of insurance you won’t be tied to him, avoiding other contracts in the process. Not that you’d take them anyway.”

Kuroo glared at the beady eyed demon. “So I don’t like the extas that human desire gives. I still do my job. I still run the archives, which is a hell of a lot more than you do. What do you have against that?” His voice grew in anger.

“You’re right. You’re basically not a demon. You-”

“Stop,” Ushijima boomed. “We all know you two have your ridiculous feud. Don’t bring it into my meetings. Now, Kuroo. We can’t have you contracted without an actual contract running. Try and figure out if you can prod him to deciding on something. We’ll see about the development by the next council meeting. Agreed?”

Kuroo and Daishou nod in agreement still staring daggers across the room at each other.

“Anything else anyone would like to add?”

“Yeah can we-”

“Not from you,” Ushijima turned a pointed glare on Daishou. Effectively shutting him up.

“Nothing?” he continued after a second. “Okay, meeting adjourned.”

Kuroo continued to stare hard at Daishou as he left. Kuroo jotted a few more things down on the paper before he gathered his things.

“Hey. Kuroo,” Bokuto hesitated, looking across the room. He waited a second before demons he didn’t want in earshot left. It was only the two of them. “Are you okay?”

Kuroo stilled and looked up. He glanced around again. “Let’s go… talk somewhere more private.”

Bokuto nodded in understanding. He waited for Kuroo to collect his things and then the two made their way back out of the room, flicking the lights off as they went. As they entered into the main chambers of the Council building they made a beeline for the front door. Kuroo’s mind racing, a tinge of anger clinging to him.

He and Bokuto changed their appearance right before exiting the building. It made traversing the common areas simpler. No Archdemon, except perhaps Oikawa, wanted to be constantly inundated with people fawning and wanting requests. They began weaving through pedestrians. The sky the same eerie shade of red it always held. It always surprised Kuroo when he went to the human world just how different it was. He and Bokuto walked in silence, weaving in and out of allies.

“Daishou was an ass today, huh?” Bokuto prompted after they ventured a further away from the Council building.

“When is he not,” Kuroo bit bitterly. “I should give his first name to a human and have them end him.”

Bokuto chuckled some. His energy toned down. “I guess that’s true, but that sounds a bit extreme.”

The conversation died again. They continued strolling along dimly lit streets until they made there way completely to Kuroo’s. He lived in a tucked away in a corner of the city. It was where he went when he couldn’t stand his office anymore.

“So, now that we’re away from prying ears. What’s up with the contract?” Bokuto asked.

Kuroo laughed, smiling at his friend. “It’s prying eyes.”

“You only know that cause you read too much,” Bokuto stuck his tongue out.

“You should read more. Akaashi does,” Kuroo smiled slyly.

“Man, do not bring that up again,” Bokuto hid his face in his hands.

“Just cause you won’t make a move,” Kuroo sing-songed as he flopped into the chair near the fire.

Bokuto made a strange face before settling in across from the other.

“So, back to the true topic at hand. How are you?” He asked, his usual playful manner replaced by concern.

Kuroo’s smile fell. He studied the arm of the chair, picking at the fraying edge of the worn fabric.

“I didn’t want to do this again,” he whispered. “I’m happy archiving.”

Bokuto nodded. “I know.” And he did. Bokuto had helped Kuroo locate his Grimmory last time, helped him hide it from the world.

“How do you do it?” Kuroo asked.

“Do what?” Bokuto asked, eyebrows bent slightly in confusion.

“How do you manage your contracts. How do you help someone achieve their dream and watch them fall off the edge?”

“My contracts,” Bokuto thought for a second. “My contracts tend to be with people who are already going to die. They just want to do one last thing and need that extra push I can give them. They’re either sick or old. I can’t do much else to help, except give them one last chance. The extas I get from it  makes me feel that much more alive, like each person gets to live on in me somehow.”

He looked at Kuroo with large innocent eyes.

This predicament. It felt so unfair. Did all of the other’s see their contracts this way?

“I’ve never had a contract like that,” Kuroo sighed hanging his head. “All of my contracts,” he paused, thinking back on each and every one he’d had before he decided enough was enough. It still made him ache.

“I know, Kuroo,” he said sympathetically, offering Kuroo an out.

“My contracts, most of them are already incredibly intelligent, but they want more, they convince themselves they need to know more. What’s the point of knowing the answer to the universe? Of knowing where some dead person’s tomb is? Why can’t they ever ask about, I don’t know, the cure for cancer? The extas I get from my contracts, it feels stale, vile even.”

“I thought you stopped taking contracts because you didn’t desire the extas anymore. You said books,”

“I know.” Kuroo silenced him. “I know. It seemed easier to explain it that way. Just imagine if suddenly all of your contracts were teenagers who were perfectly healthy but just wanted to live forever. Would the extas from those feel good?”

Bokuto pondered it for a moment, a frown appearing as he shook his head. “No, I don’t think it would.”

“And now I have a contract,” he looked down at his mark, inked red instead of black, showing he was bound. “No freedom to decline.”

“And with a contractor who doesn’t want it either,” Bokuto laughed and then his face immediately fell into a frown. “What are you going to do about that Kuroo? You know the rest of the council won’t tolerate having you stuck in a contract. It’s too draining.”

Kuroo shook his head. “I hate the demon act. Being coy, hiding things. It’s not me. I don’t want to drive the man mad. I don’t want him to die. This entire situation…” he ran his hand through his hair. “It’s not the man’s fault. I’m going to have to try and figure out…something.”

“Just… be careful,” Bokuto had risen to his feet as well. “The seven of us maintain the balance.” 

He stepped forward and clapped Kuroo on the back.

“Well then. See you at the next council meeting?”

Kuroo nodded. “Yup, I believe that would be when. Good luck with Akaashi,” he winked.

Bokuto smiled, and Kuroo closed his eyes, focusing on the threads of the contract, and jumped.

* * *

 

He looked down the street again. Not there… Kei hated this area. It followed old roads, streets meandering their way between buildings. Shops and apartments huddle close together in the autumn chill. There was no order or logic to it at all.

Kuroo had finally left him some time during the night and when Kei awoke he was alone. He knew Sugawara’s opened at exactly 7:00am. It was 6:00 and he needed to get there as quickly as possible. He didn’t know when Kuroo would be back and he most certainly did  _ not _ need him showing up while he talked with Sugawara. It’d be too dangerous.

He checked the address on the paper again. He had the right chome, he was sure, but it was near impossible to find the specific building.

He rounded another corner looking down at the map on his phone. The pin was in the right spot. He looked back up, finally seeing the storefront he wanted.

Celestial Cafe’s windows were bordered by a deep purple with drapes that looked like the midnight sky. The golden lettering on the door practically twinkled at him daring him to come in.

He barely built up his courage to place his hand on the door knob when the swung open of its own accord, throwing Kei off balance and forcing him a step back.

The two customers who went by barely seemed to notice him standing there as they hurried out and back down along the street Kei had come up.

With the door already open, he peered inside. He took in the tables, all draped with a fabric that shimmered like the milky way and topped with silver and glass centerpieces that sparkled like stars. It was warm and smelled like tea and cinnamon. When he entered he couldn’t see anyone else in the establishment. His eyes wandered toward the glass cases and bookshelves that lined the wall making the place seem almost more like a library than a cafe. Movement in the back corner of the cafe caught his eye. A door swung in revealing a silver haired man carrying a platter of cookies to the front counter.

Kei stood watching him silently. He knew the other already knew he was here.

After placing the cookies down he turned slowly and looked right at Kei. He smiled softly, the small mark by his left eye drawing more attention to the crinkles from his grin.

“Kei! So good to see you. It’s been a while.” He approached Kei, who was still standing near the door.

He couldn’t help but smile. He genuinely like Sugawara Koushi. He was one of the only threads he had left of his old life. “Hi, Koushi.” He stepped forward into open arms that quickly wrapped around him.

He’d forgotten how much warmth another’s arms could hold. And how his heart could expand so much from a single touch. He hadn’t felt it for so long.

“Come, come. Have a seat.” He herded Kei to a table near the counter. “The usual?”

“Do I come often enough to have a usual?” Kei questioned, eyebrow raised as he took his seat.

“You have a coffee with cream and strawberry shortcake every time you come, no matter how infrequent that may be,” he replied as he stepped behind the counter, eying Kei meaningfully.

Kei shrank a bit at the look. “I’m sorry. It’s just-”

“You don’t have to validate your actions for me, Kei. I know you’ve been trying to move on. I just want you to remember I’m here for you when you need me,” Koushi smiled supportively.

“I’m still sorry,” Kei looked down at his hands, knotted nervously in his lap.

Koushi walked back over and placed a piece of cake and cup of coffee in front of him. “It can’t be helped,” he replied sitting across from him. “So what’s on your mind?”

Kei focused on the sweep of the cream on the cake. “I just ran into something while I was researching and wanted to speak to you about it.” He looked up. “Something close to Akiteru’s line of work.”

Koushi’s brow crinkled questioningly. He knew Kei had stopped researching anything to do with Akiteru’s work years ago.

“What did you find?”

Kei sipped at his coffee, trying to say it as calmly as possible. “Well, I came across some demon mythology while I was shelving and started to read. It didn’t seem quite accurate, but I was curious, so I thought I’d ask you,” Kei replied as innocently as possible. Koushi had a tendency for being able to tell when something wasn’t quite right and Kei needed him not to suspect.

At the word demons Koushi’s eyes brightened. “Well you should know that most mythology has it completely wrong to begin with anyway."

“Really?” Kei questioned, hoping he’d continue without prompting. He did.

“Oh, yes. So a recent development of the society’s research has actually said that someone has claimed to see a summoned demon. They said it was just how’d you expect a demon to be too. Red horns and tail. I’m not sure how much I actually believe that part, but it’s something to go off of. But we are certain now that they operate with some sort of gateways. We still have yet to figure out if they lead down or to a type of parallel world to ours, but you can skip between the two.”

“Have you ever heard of someone contracting a demon without meaning to before?” Kei touched the marked place on his wrist. He had covered his wrist by wearing long sleeves to this meeting. It wasn’t too hard since it only required a sweater, but he was still worried Koushi would see straight through him.

The other man’s eyes narrowed slightly at that. “It’s supposed to be rare,” he took a sip of his tea. “Very few people even believe that it’s possible but there are some who claim there are old texts, books or scrolls created to tie the most powerful of the demons to this world.”

He stood up suddenly, going to a back shelf. He skimmed it a moment, running his finger along their spines until it stopped on the title he apparently wanted. He pulled out a deep blue mammoth of a book and came back to the table, speaking as he settled back down. 

“The number of these that exist isn’t known for sure. Different sources say different things. Five, nine, eleven, one says six but I personally think it’s an odd number, probably prime. If there  _ is _ an underworld it shouldn’t be nicely summed should it?” Suga turned a smile on Tsukishima.

“So they exist?” Tsukishima’s eyes widened. If they know about the books, then maybe there was a way out. A way around the contract.

Koushi lost a small part of his enthusiasm, his shoulders fell slightly and he bit his lip. “Well not exactly. It’s a theory and it’s based arooooound,” he opened the book and shuffled through the pages and then finally excitedly slammed his finger down on an image. “This!”

Kei peered over at the page. When he saw what was there he clamped down on any surprise that might seep through. A book that looked near identical to Kuroo’s lay on the page before him.

“How is a theory based around one object?” Kei asked apprehensive at having something very real before him.

“Well you see this book is a copy of a much older manuscript found that describes types of demons and their hierarchy. It described Archdemons as having these,” Koushi pointed to the picture again in the book. “Doesn’t actually say how they work exactly, but it does say that having it means they can’t reject your contract.”

“Demons can reject contracts?” Kei asked, actually curious to know about this.

“Of course,” Koushi looked at him like he was stupid. Kei pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at this.

“Why would they do that?”

Koushi stopped and thought for a moment. “You know, I’m not actually sure,” his face scrunched in thought. “We haven’t quite figured out what demon’s get out of contracting yet, or how they benefit. We think that humans die after contracting, but we aren’t sure their souls are sucked out. So could be typical soul sucking demon, or something else entirely. That’s a really good question, though. I should present it to the other guys at the next meeting. I’m sure we could probably pull together some information on people we believe have contracted in the past,” he mused, grabbing a pad from the counter behind him to jot down a note.

It certainly hadn’t informed Kei much more about what he wanted, but it was something. He sighed, “So you guys don’t actually know much at all?”

“We have books and back research, weird deaths, weird rises to power, we’re patching it together. Not to mention the ancient sources,” he scowled. 

“Do you know how hard Latin is?”

Kei couldn’t help the small chuckle that emanated from his chest. “Yeah, I do actually, and it’s no harder than any other language.”

“Except it’s dead,” Suga smiled.

“That it is,” he laughed. He’d forgotten how easy it was to talk to Koushi. The thought sank in and, he felt… Bad about it. He’d left, ran so quickly from the society once his brother wasn’t there to keep him any more.

“Hey. Kei,” Koushi broke his thought, his face had fallen some, worry in his features now. “Are you doing ok?”

He met the man’s eyes. He could tell they were searching, trying to read him.

Kei slowly began to nod. “Yeah. It’s been a better year than most so far, and I did get the head librarian position at the university,” he smiled softly, trying to comfort Suga. He knew he worried. He did.

“I know,” he smiled fully. “Congratulations on that. It’s a big achievement.”

“Thank you,” Kei said sipping his coffee. His cake remaining untouched.

“But,” Sugawara took a second to mull over how he wanted to say the words. “Do you have anyone? I know you close off and I don’t want you completely alone,” he said steadily and carefully.

Kei’s lips tightened. “I’m okay I promise.” He told him steadily.

“Kei ever since Akiteru passed you haven’t-”

“Koushi, I told you I’m fine. It’s been three years already.”

“That’s what worries me, Kei. It’s been three years. You haven’t gone back. You haven’t-”

“Please,” Kei begged. His eyes pleading the other man to stop.

Kei could see it in Koushi’s eyes that he didn’t want to let this go. He wanted Kei to talk. He wanted Kei to open up and pour everything out. But he just couldn’t do that. He couldn’t. It would open too many old wounds and old books he’d closed for good.

“Okay, just remember I’m here, we’re here, all of us, if you ever need anything.”

Kei nodded. “I know.” 

And objectively he did. He just also knew he could never stoop so low as to ask for that kind of help. 

“Thank you for breakfast. It was delicious, as always.”

Koushi smiled sadly and moved to stand when Kei did. “Of course. You need your energy to run that huge library of yours. Wouldn’t want to let you down now would I?”

“You never have,” Kei gave him a small quirk of his lip in return.

“Okay, get out of here or you’ll be late,” he shooed him through the door.

“Bye.”

Koushi just stood at the door and waved as Kei made his way back down to the main street trying to keep the knots in his stomach at bay.

He pushed his way through the crowds starting to emerge on the main street as he went back to the station. The knots in his stomach unwinding the farther he got away from the cafe. It must have been pure dumb luck that allowed Kei to make it through the meeting without Kuroo popping up. He would most likely be running a bit late, but that was ok. He had gotten some more information, barely, but at least it was something. 

Yachi was opening today, so if he was off by a bit it’d be fine. Kei did however still prefer to be at the library for opening and close. He knew he didn’t need to be, but it gave him satisfaction. The library was his life now and he didn’t want anything there to go wrong.

He finally made it to the station entrance, people rushing in from every direction, tapping their passes on the gates as they went by. He joined the hoards entering and made his way to the platform, pulling out his book in the process. When the train arrived he climbed aboard with everyone else, settling into a corner by the door and trying not to touch anyone despite their proximity. He thanked his lucky stars he wasn’t on a line that had to shove people into the car.

Once he had his spot he opened his book and began to read. Not long after he felt a new presence and with just a glance he knew who it was.

“Where were you?” he asked in a hushed voice to the demon now beside him.

“I could ask you the same thing, couldn’t I?” The demon raised an eyebrow. “This isn’t the train we took to your apartment last night.”

“I met a friend for coffee this morning,” Kei whispered sudden;y aware of the glances he was getting. He’d forgotten other people couldn’t see the demon bound to him.

Kuroo nodded, asking, “We are going to the library, right?”

Kei couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Where else could we possibly be going. The library opens soon and I need to be there for it.”

“Didn’t you close last night?” He asked confused.

“Your point?” He said under his breath, his focus still on his book. Kei really needed Kuroo to stop talking and expecting a reply. He could attempt to ignore him, but he expected that’d probably get a raise out of the demon which seemed counterproductive.

“Don’t most humans only do one or the other? Not both?”

Kei finally looked away from his reading and glared at Kuroo. “I am head librarian. I take my position seriously. Now, if you would please stop talking to me? People are staring,” he motioned his head to the lady sitting across the way. Her brow was creased and she was looking worriedly at him.

Kuroo pursed his lips together, but didn’t say anything else, for which Kei was thankful.

They finally made it to their stop and Kei walked out with the rush of people avoiding getting stuck behind anyone slow. Kuroo simply followed him, or sort of followed. Once out on the street, the demon seemed to keep getting sidetracked. An animal here, an odd person there. Sometimes he got far enough behind Kei had to wait for him so he wouldn’t get lost, not to  mention the bond mark stung some. Was that what was supposed to keep him near Kuroo? His hand stinging?

He sighed when they made it to the back entrance. It looked like Yachi was already there and was starting to open. Kei calmly greeted her and turned to his office.

“I still don’t understand why you have to stay here all hours of the day,” Kuroo muttered under his breath. Kei whipped around to give him a death glare. Kuroo just narrowed his eyes slightly at the blond.

Kei made his way to the office, the demon following close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I owe an apology to puppetgrenade, this was done a few weeks ago, but I moved and my editor got a new job and you know life kinda happened. This ch. isn't edited, but I just wanted to get it out, so sorry for weird words and typos. Hope y'all enjoy though.
> 
> if you like little ficlets i do a lot of those and post on my [tumblr](http://midnightmooncatcher.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/mooncatcher21)!


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